3t> A Century of Family Letters [CHAP, in 



Mrs Josiah Wedgwood to her sister Jessie Allen. 



MY DEAR JESS, PARKFIELDS, 1 July 25 [1813]. 



I think Mme de Stael is not only witty herself but 

 the cause of wit in others, for I have just seen two of the 

 pleasantest letters imaginable from you and Fanny 

 about her. I have heard that Lady Davy said that before 

 she knew la de Stael she was only an ordinary woman, and 

 to her she owed all her elevation. Far be it from me to 

 insinuate, Ladies, that you are only ordinary women, but 

 certainly the accounts you have given of her are in your 

 very best stile, and have amused and interested us very 

 much. You have all been so good to us country folks since 

 I left you, that you beggar thanks. . . . 



As to Fanny's going to Mrs Clifford's, she must not go 

 unless she has a mind to have William Clifford. If she goes 

 to Perrystone and afterwards refuses W. C., I will say of her 

 that she is the greatest coquet in England. 



I came here last night with Jos, who is gone by this 

 morning's mail to Exeter and from thence to Cornwall. 

 He thinks of spending one day with Tom Poole 2 at Stowey, 

 but I dare say he is gone to see his friend Mme de Stael. 

 Kitty [Wedgwood] and Miss Morgan are on their tour; I 

 saw two letters from K. highly expressive of their enjoy- 

 ment. It was from Capel Curig, which they had made 

 their head-quarters for a week, making riding excursions 

 from thence. Kitty's enjoyment of these sort of things 

 seems to make her quite a new creature. Her letters from 

 these little inns among the mountains are full of life, spirit, 

 and humour. . . . 



Etruria, Sunday night. I heard a story at Parkfields 

 that has made a great sensation at Shrewsbury, but so much 

 care has been taken to keep it out of the papers that you 

 will not see it there. 



1 Parkfields, where Mrs Josiah Wedgwood, senior, now lived 

 with her daughters Kitty and Sarah. 



2 Tom Poole, tanner, farmer and land-agent, of Nether Stowey 

 in Somersetshire, was an attached friend of Tom and Josiah Wedg- 

 wood. It was through him that they became known to Coleridge. 



